Fountain pen



, 1,507,782 -c. F. LrrTs Sept. 9, 1924.

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Jan. so. 1920 y IWI/621257".- Carl 2727" nieuwe 9, 1924;

UNITE-o. STATES PArEjNr ori-1oz.

om r. Lrrrs, or roar unison, Iowa', asslenofn I:so w. A. cm1.

Im, 0F FORT IADIBON, IOWA, A OOREOELTION- OF Bmwm appuaun ala mamy 30, mo. i smal-m. 355,088.

To all whom tmay concern:

Be it known that I, Cam. F. Lrrrs, a citizen of the United States, at Fort Madison, in the .county of Lee 'an State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountain Pens, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fountain pens and has for oneof its objects the provision of a fountain n construction withl feed mechanism enab 'ng the fountain pen to be filled upon insertion of the nib into ink a distance substantiall no greater -than the length of the slit in t e nib. A

A further object is the provision of a fountain pen feeding mechanism in which' vthe feed tube is perforated longitudinally with one. end of its perforation openin into the feed sectionand the other end o such perforation opening against the upper end of the slit in the nib. I

A' still further object is the provision of a fountain pen feed tube which is easily adaptable ,for operative engagement wit nibs of various sizes and shapes.

Other objects will. appear hereinafter. An embodiment of my invention is illus- A trated in the accompanying drawing, form- 111g which- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of a fountain pen embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a feed.

tube embodying my invention; and

Fig. S is a' lon 'tudinal section taken thro l1' thefeed tu v Relfrring more particularly to the drawing, I have indicated a fountain pen barrel 4 with a feed section 5 fitted therein and an ink sack 6 attached'to the feedsection 5, in the usual manner. Y In the feed t'ube -4 is mechanism. for squeezing the sack 6 for expelling air when' it is desired to iill the ink sack 6 or for use in sucking in and pumpin outink or other fluids' to clean the pen. he inkv bag squeezing mechanism shown comprises a lever 7 pivoted as at 8" in a slot 9 of the barrel 4. Inside the barrel 4 isa presser bar 10 and spring 11" cooperating with the lever 7 for squeezing the sack 6. The means for squeezing-the sack 6 a part of this s peclfication, and inl illustrated is substantiall the same as that shown in United States tters Patent No. 1,118,240, granted November 24, 1914, to W. A. Sheaifer. It will be understood that any other forxn of means for compressing :the sack.6 maybe used-when so desired..

The feed section 5 has alongitudinal'p'erforation 12 therein which is ilarin at -13 and a feed tube 14 is disposed with one end portion extending into the perforation 12 ainst the flaring portion 13, the latter providin a shoulder to limit the movement i of the tu 14 into the feed Section5. The form and A'shape of the Haring portion 13 andthe adjacentpo'rtionlof feed tube 14 is such that a substantially fluid and .air tight joint is formed when the feed tube 14' is l -m proper position in the feed section 5.

Also, extending into .IPPer to hold the n1b 15 1n 'position in said perforation 12. The lnib .15 may be of any rforation 12 is the end of a nib 15, t e fe'ed tube 14 servordinaryr form having a slit 16 in its point 'i reaching up onto the feed tube 14. The fnib 1 5 may alsohave antopening at 17 at the upper end of theslit 16 but the device will work eliciently without the opening 17.

The feed tube '14 .is provided Vwithl a perforation 18 which extends longitudinally of the feed tube 14 with one end 19 opening into the perforation -12 and the other end 20 opening under the upper end of the slit 1'6, orwhere there is an opening 17, in the nib 15, at such openingy 17. It will be-seen that it is not necessary for the body of the nib 15 above the opening 17, or above the upper end ofthe slit 16 should fit snugly against, the feed -tube 14. lIn theconstruc- ,tion illustrated in the drawings the nib 15 need lie closely against the feed tube 14 only adjacent the opening 20.- Since the oint to the opening 20 such part of the ni 15,is sufficiently' yieldable to autoruaticalh7 conform tothe nib 15 is slitted from its outer end ofthe feed tube 14 at the opening 20 to provide a fluid-seal or fluid-tight joint between the nib 15 and the feed tube '14. Small irregularities inthe upper surface of vthe feed 'tube 14 above the opening 20 are xgi therefore immaterialas a tight joint; be- L tween the-rear portion of the nib 15 and the entire upper length of the feed tube 14 isunnecessary. Since the amount of the nib 15 which is `in contact with the feed tube-14 adjacent'the opening 20 to form In the construction of fountainpen feed' tubes considerable difficulty is encountered in securing a perfect fit between the 'pen and the feed tube along the slot in the upper obtained. In the ordinar f Furthermore, on 'account of the opening 20- -portion of the latter. Feed tubes are usually made of hard rubber which spring out of shape upon changes lof temperature. Furthermore,"imperfections in the nib engaging' surface adjacent the feed slot causes the nibs to beheld out of contact with the feed tube and an efficient liquid seal is often not construction of fountain -pens where ,--theeed tube and the nib must come in contact with each other over substantially the 'entire length of the feed tube, irregularities in either the pen or the feed tube or both will cause the pen to become flooded or operate inefiiciently. In

the construction illustrated the cost of Inanufacture is reduced because not so much skill is required in making the feed tubes and in assembling them in the fountain pen.

being located adjacent the most fiexible portion of thepen its efliciency in operation is greatly increased because' a liquid seal will be always maintained while leakage or flooding of ink will be greatly minimized or entirely prevented.

While I have shown a self-filling fountain' pen it should be understood that the feed tube is adaptable to -other types offountain pens. `However, the feed tube illustrated is particularly adaptable tol self-filling fountain pens because when it is desired to fillthe pen it need be inserted in the ink no farther `than to cover the opening 20. In the ordinary self-filling fountain pen, on account of the feed slot extending along the upper surface of the feed tube over the en tire length thereof, the pen has to be inserted a sufficient distance to immerse part of the feed section such as that shown at 5 in Fig. 1 and the ink must Ytherefore be wiped off, such as with a blotter, before the pen can be used otherwise the ink on the feed section would soil the fingers of the user. Thisobjection in the use of the ordinary .self-filling fountain pen is entirely avoided by means of the feed-tube constructed as illustrated in the drawings because in order to operate the self-filling fountain pen it need not be dipped into the ink to such an extent that the ink will come in contactv with any parts which the user is likely to touch when writing. In operating the self- Y filling fountain pen shown in Fig. 1 the lever Y mersed in ink at this time with the opening 20 below the surface and the feed section 5 above the surface of the ink in the receptacle from which the ink is being withdrawn to fill the pen.

Obviously those skilled in thel art may make various changes inthe details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of 'my invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and I desire therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus fully disclosed an embodiment of 'my invention, what I desire to secure lby Letters Patent of the United States 1./A fountain pen comprisinga; feed sectionhaving a perforation therethrough composed of end portions connected lby an intermediate central fiaring portion with each end portion of said perforation of substantially uniform cross-section throughout its length and its central portion flaring from one of said endportions to the other; and a feed tube having one end disposedin one of said end portions of said perforation and engaging the flaring portion of the latter ,forming a Huid-tight joint', there being a discharge passage 1n the feed tube.

2. yA fountain lpen comprisin a feed Section having a perforation theret rough composed of end portions connected by a central flaring portion, one end ortion of the perforation being larger in iameter than the other and the central portion flaring from one of said end portions to the other;

- liquid-tight joint at said shoulder, there being an ink passage extendin through the feed tube; and a nib exten ingv into said feed. section perforation and held between the wall of the latter and the feed tube.

.4. A fountain pennomprising a feed section having a perforation therethrough; a shoulder in said perforation intermediate the ends of the latter; a feed tube having one end one end rtion of sai perforation and sai shoulder so as to provide a substantia y liquid-tight joint,

thereA being ink gc extending througlthe feed tube; and a nib extending intothe feed section llatte rforation and disagainst the f tube with the nib the feed tube closely around the adjacent opening of the iiik paage in the r. 5. A fountain pen -comprising a feed section having a perforation therethrough; Aa;

feed tube in 'said perforation and extending from the latter, there being a perforation through thefeed tube with its discharge o on one side of the latter a considarable distance from vthe feed section; and a nib on thefeed tube with a -substantially' tiglt joint between the niband the feed tu 'aroundt'd discharge opening.

comprising a feed section a pe 4oration therethrough with `'one :portion of the perforation of substantioned portion tially uniform cross-section throughout its length and another portion taper' to pro-A vide a shoulder; a feed tube in the -menof .said perforationwith an end ging said shoulder, `said feed-tube extending fromsaid perforation and therethrough with a discharge opening on the side of thegeed tube a considerable distance'fromthe feed section;`

and anibextending-into the 'first-mentioned' portion of theperforation of the feed secs tion against said feed tube and held by the any homing un nib in Said pesage n tube-having an openingextending diagodif `section-to a tion having a latter with a portion of the nib fitting closel against said feed tube around `said disc' arge opening.

7. A fountain. pen comprising a feed section having a passage therethrough with an intermediate part of said passage providing-a shoulder within the passage;

,and a f -tube having one endextending into seid passage 'with' the end of said tube e said. -shoulder forming a fluidtight join i '8.' A fountain pen comprising a feed sec'- tion having a passage therethrough; a shoulder on the feed sectionrwithin said passage;-a nib extending into said passage; and a.-. feed tube extending into saidpassage instY said shoulder forminiir a substantially fluidtight joint between the shoulder and feed tube, said feed tube also'friction- 9. A'fountain pen comprisingr a feed secp4 therethrough; a shoulder on the `feed section'withinsaid pasintermediate the ends of the latter; 'a nib extending into said passage; and a feed nallilie through from ,its end within the intj adjacent A its other .end..at ;itsside ad]ncent'.the nib, the feed tube fittingtightly around said"v opening against the nib.'

' 10. A fountain pen comprisinga barrel; feeding means attached to -the barrel and comprising a feed section with an opening` therethrough and a feed tube extending into said opening with the end of said feed tube engaging a portion of the wall of the opening in the feed' section forming a substan` Vl2. A fountain pen comprising. a tion having a passage therethrough and a shoulder or abutment in the p e intermediatethe ends of the latter; a feed tube extending into said passage with an end engaging said shoulder providing a Huid-tight joint between the feed tube and feed section, there being of the latter distant from' the adjacent end of the feed section; a nib disposed against said feed tube with an-end extending into Y against the wall of sai passage and one end.

a rectilinear pway j through the feed tube opening on the side said feed section and tightly held in the latrtion of the tei' bthe feed tube with a eld tightly against t e feed tube nib around the passageway through thelatt'er.

V13. A sellfilling fountain pen comprising self-filling echanism `and va feed section ha av passageway therethrough, va

shoul er withinsaid passageway Interiuediate the ends f said feed section, a feed tube adapted to extend into'said passageway and abut against said shoulder to form a fluid-'tight joint while at the same time securing a nih in said vpassageway in position to extendalong` the exposed portion of said feed tube, said vfeed tube having a rectilinear bore therethroughtothe outer rtion thereof to a position under the pen apting,

theself-lilling mechanism for operation by immersion in out'imine the said feed section.y

14. A selffountain pen comprising a'barrel; self-filling mechanism within said barrel; a feed section attached to the barrel and having an axial therethrough; a shoulder within sai p L Y intermediate vthe ends of said feed section; a feed tube having one end extendingiintosaid assage with an end tightly enga said oulder forming a liquid-tight joint, said 'feed tube '125 Y extendingfromsaid feed section and having a rectilinear bore therein extending the inner end of the feed tube to one side adjacent the outer end ofsuch feed tube; anda nib frictionally held in the passage' of fromv ink only partially and with- {15 I said feed section by the feed tube with the niblying over the portion of the feed tube extending from said feed section with the feed tube fitting close to the nib around the `5 adjacentvopening of the bore'of the feed tube, the nib and feed tube being arranged to permit drawing ink into the ba/rrel upon immersing the lower ends of the nib and feed tube onlyin an ink supply. t

In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 name to this' specification on this 26thday of- January, A. D. 1920.

CARL F. LITTS. 

